


Torn Between Realities

by Delnic



Category: Bleach, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Cannon Divergence, Dimension Travel, Gen, Hurt Ichigo, Ichigo captured, Insomnia, Insomniac Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Jealous, Jealous Eren Yeager, Jealousy, Power Loss, Powerless, Self-Hatred, Temporary Amnesia, angsty eren, angsty eren yeager, sad uryu, sad uryuu, self hate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-10 15:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8922019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delnic/pseuds/Delnic
Summary: When on what should've been a fairly quick and hopefully uneventful mission, Ichigo and crew run into some of the Espada. After a short discourse, the group face a grave casualty - Ichigo himself.The man later wakes up to find himself in a rather maliciously beautiful landscape harbouring monsters worse than hollows.Actually I don't enjoy writing this anymore. Probably won't update. Sorry.





	1. The Capture

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter, I'm thinking of crossing this over with Attack on Titan in the next chapter.

It's all cold. From the multitude of metallic straps restraining him to the liquid he was partially submerged in, everything threatened to freeze him to death. Not to mention the furious wind which repeatedly smacked his skin and sent the liquid into a frenzy, hitting him like shots of frozen bullets. It was so uncontrolled that it had gotten to the point where it was spilling over the transparent walls of the container, splashing onto the marble floor. He had woken up to this, still dazed but had recognised that any struggles were futile, but it didn't stop him from trying. Confusion rocked his mind, ransacking it, allowing panic to take full reign over his senses. Everything was jumbled up and there was a complete absence of clarity, he almost missed it when that oh so familiar figure loomed over him. Despite the chaos his brain was currently undergoing, rage and fear still managed to bubble up as something within the depths of his being identified the figure.

Aizen Sousuke.

Time slowed, almost to a halt. His vision focused once his eyelids batted away the liquid. It was him, knuckles white, hands tightened over the edge of his victim's confines, donning a maleficent grin that revealed the malicious nature of his intentions. That was when the memories came flooding back to him.

-_-_-_-

The sands of Hueco Mundo whipped viciously by the group of misfits, the first sign of the oncoming storm and omen of what was about to take place. They were running at full speed, their mission's completion was of optimum importance. Ichigo and Renji were out in front, leading the team, weaving through low-level hollows and divining the quickest route. Not too far behind, Rukia and Chad guarded the left and right flank with Orihime situated between the two, at the centre of the formation. Finally, Uryuu was at the rear, keeping an eye out for any attacks from behind and providing any long range support if necessary, barring his Ginrei Kojaku for that sole purpose. All was going smoothly until a figure materialised seemingly out of nowhere on top of an elevated part of the land just ahead of them.

Bright blue contrasted greatly against the dull landscape of Hueco Mundo.

“ICHIGO KUROSAKI!” The figure bellowed, freezing the man he had addressed in his tracks, almost causing a domino collision to the rest of the squad.  
“It's payback time!”

Espada number six, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

The group dropped into battle stances simultaneously upon recognition, surveying the scene in an attempt to devise a plan. The foe slid down from the hill he was on, causing the sand to cascade down with him until the hill was no more. _It's quite suiting_ , Uryu mused from the back, _with him being the Espada of destruction._

Now on level footing with those who opposed him, Grimmjow strolled over to them with his hands in his pockets. It furrily confused the crew, setting them on the very edge. Ichigo shifted his weight when he was within a few strides of the blue haired maniac, brandishing his sword as a warning. In response, Grimmjow halted and widened his grin, revelling in the awkward situation he had created by simply _being_. However, he was not allowed to bask in his glory for too long, the strained peace was disrupted as he flicked out his hand in the blink of an eye, catching a blue missile a mere hair breadths from his chest. The grin dropped, transforming into a grimace as Renji practically jumped onto him and Ichigo assumed his visored state. He batted Renji away with ease and quickly retreated to a safe distance as Ichigo unleashed a Getsuga Tenshou in his direction. Unfortunately for him, Grimmjow had no time to relax as Quincey arrows rained down on him and Renji released Zabimaru. 

“Yerr fucked up Grimm” Nnoitra stated as he emerged from behind a broken pillar structure, soon followed by Ulquiorra.

“Fuck off!” Grimmjow shouted, dancing between arrows.  
“If that weedy kid with the glasses weren't there I would've been fine!” He dodged another Getsuga. No more attacks followed.  
“Wait... What?”

This time, Ichigo took up the rear as the group retreated, fighting the Espada was not their objective and three at once would just be counter productive. He allowed his mask to crumble and took a quick glance back, noting that the Espada were now trailing them. He considered the possibility of fully retreating.

“Ichigo, we should return to the soul society?” Uryu took the words straight out of his mouth.  
“Go for it!” He called out the confirmation. The Quincey took out a device which was not too dissimilar to a flip phone and started barking instructions down it. Not long after, an opening which looked like a Garganta appeared in the distance. Although it wasn't a Garganta, Ichigo knew that. It was a mix of Urahara's and Kurotsuchi's expertise. While the two may despise each other, they made a brilliantly productive team.

Ichigo stole himself another look back and found that the Espada were incredibly close now. What he didn't quite understand was why they didn't just use one of their projectiles, they were most definitely in range. He dismissed the thought and focused his attention back to the escape route at hand, after all, he'd take escaping unscathed in place of a Cero to the chest again any day. The group was close now, in fact, Uryu was already on the other side of the “Inverse Gate” (Urahara's name for the gadget) or the “Noches Warp” (Kurotsuchi's name). A couple of leaps and bounds later and Chad joined Uryu, followed by Orihime, then Rukia, Renji and finally...

Ichigo screamed.

“Ichigo!” Orihime wailed desperately, hand outstretched towards the side of the gate she had just come from, attempting to wriggle out of Chad's grasp.  
“I know” The man of few words whispered, a hint of distress could be picked up by attentive listeners.  
Rukia and Renji looked on in horror, paralysed by shock from what they had just witnessed. They didn't even move a single muscle as the doors to the room they were in burst open allowing for various shinigami to spill in, including the inventors of the device that was in use. Uryu was the only one thinking straight. He grimaced as if in pain as he watched Ichigo slump to the ground, no longer conscious. He knew there was nothing they could do without endangering the entirety of the soul society. As if on cue, the extraordinarily tall Espada 'Nnoitra' reached into their side of the gate. With a grunt, Uryu snapped his eyes shut and pressed a button on the device's controller. He couldn't watch as he abandoned who he regarded as his closest friend. With great velocity, the opening between the two worlds shut, decapitating the Espada's limb in the process. The last they heard of Hueco Mundo was the blood-curdling howl of Nnoitra, cut short.

Urahara placed a gentle hand upon Uryu's shoulder with just enough force to subdue his quaking. With his other hand, he placed a small handkerchief in the Quincey's grasp. He stared, stunned by the action until he realised. 

He was crying.

-_-_-_- 

“Renji, speak up, we can't hear you”

They were in the Gotei 13 meeting room and not only were all captains present but so were their lieutenants. Yamamoto was stood up, holding his sealed Zanpakto with a tight grip, the usually calm and collected old man was somewhat visibly affected by what had transpired, even if only a little. The man did owe Ichigo a lot after all.

Meanwhile, Renji looked as though he was barely keeping it together. He was positioned at the opposite end of the hall from Yamamoto, eyes trained on the ground and shaking. For those who only knew Renji on a civil basis, it was quite the site to behold. Even for Byakuya, it was fairly surprising.

“They got him...” Renji's sentence devolved into incoherent mumbling.

“For the last time Renji, we need to know what happened” Yamamoto was losing his patience. Byakuya sighed at the state his lieutenant was in and stepped forward, making his way over to Renji and whispered something into his ear. As a result of whatever the captain has said, the red-head seemed to calm down a little. Enough to speak anyway. He took a gulp of fresh air and Byakuya returned to his former position.

“I-I'll start from where the Espada appeared”

At the mention of the variation of hollow, a few murmurings sounded. Some already knew of their involvement from Urahara, Kurotsuchi and other shinigami who had witnessed the conclusion of the events but for the most part, this was unheard news.

“We were on our way to deploy Kurotsuchi's bugs, me and Ichigo at the front” He had seemed to gain more control and confidence now, only slightly quivering. “Then the blue one... yah know that one that went to Karakura town a bit ago”  
“Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez?” Toshiro offered.  
“Yeah, Grimmjow. He just sorta came walking over, all casual and cool as though we were on good terms or something. We were really confused so we just sort of readied ourselves until he got a bit too close for comfort” Renji took a deep breath.  
“And then what did you do?” Yamamoto urged him to continue.  
“Well, Uryu shot an arrow and he caught it, then I launched myself forward. Now, I'm not weak, but in that moment, I felt powerless. He just batted me away like a bug, like I was nothing.” This statement caused a few people to gasp a little.  
“I ran forward again, releasing my Zanpakto but I stopped. Ichigo was letting out Getsuga's and Uryu was shooting a tonne of arrows but then two other Espada appeared”  
“Which two?” Asked Yamamoto.  
“Sorry, I don't really know the names that well. I think it was the one with black hair, pale skin and green tear drop looking streaks on his face and I KNOW the other one was the really tall Espada”  
“Ulquiorra and Nnoitra” Toshiro filled in, causing a few people go throw him questioning looks. “I like to know who I might end up facing in the future” He explained, a little irritated by the unnecessary attention.  
“Continue Renji” Yamamoto ordered, not interested in why or how people knew this and that.  
“Yeah, so, err yeah. Ah, we retreated” He found where he left off. “And then we came to the decision that we should just return to the soul society and used the inverse-”  
“Noches Warp!” Kurotsuchi interrupted, earning himself a glare from Yamamoto.

Renji knew the deal by now and continued “So yeah, we all go into there and then...” Renji shivered.  
This time, nobody said anything, allowing Renji the time he needed.  
“Then... I heard him scream. We all did”  
“Ichigo screamed?” Kenpachi repeated in disbelief.  
“... Yeah... It was a horrible scream. I haven't heard one like it before... I turned around when I did and I saw him with something latching onto him... making his body convulse... I bet the scientist one made it... he is mad after all...” Renji trailed off, it was clear he didn't wish to speak anymore.  
“I was there for the rest of it” Kurotsuchi announced, almost with pride. Regardless of his intentions, it gave Byakuya the time to guide his lieutenant out of the room and return alone.

“I ran in as the boy had stopped screaming, from what I could see of the gadget, I can almost guarantee it was derived from the mind of Szayel, Espada of madness. Their goal is quite unclear, whether they needed Ichigo or just took him because he was within range, we do not yet know. However! If we manage to get my bugs to infiltrate their palace, we could know that and much more, imagine everyth-”

“The account, Kurotsuchi” Yamamoto stated in a very stern tone. 

“Ah yes, sorry” He laughed a little, sheepishly. “Uryu closed MY Noches Warp when Nnoitra reached into our side of the opening. Because MY invention is just _so_ powerful, it sliced the Espada's limb cleanly off. And that is most truthful and accurate account you can get” He finished with confidence.  
“Thank you, Kurotsuchi” Yamamoto said as he sat down.

_-_-_-_


	2. Disarray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo wakes up in a maliciously mystical landscape and Levi is Introduced

“Uggh...” Ichigo groaned as he lifted his head, massaging it as he did so. He opened his eyes with a stretch and found himself sat in what seemed to be a forest... a mutant forest. The trees that craned over him were unimaginably tall, Ichigo doubted he had ever seen any even _half_ their height in the entirety of his life on earth. In a similar fashion, grass brushed against him, doubly longer than what he was used to. Though he had to admit, it was rather beautiful.

Only a fraction of the sun's rays managed to break through the green canopy and illuminate the scenery, creating an ambient atmosphere. Little dandelion seeds drifted lazily on the very slight breeze, occasionally obstructing the light which caused them to seemingly glow like little fairies. It fascinated him, so much so that he outstretched an arm and gently prodded one. The small action leads to much greater effect as the seed was sent whizzing through the air in a panicked fashion. He felt like a child again, amidst a mystical landscape (which was a wonderful change from the bland sands of Hueco Mundo). _Hueco Mundo?_

However, this bliss was short lived. Birds began to squawk an unruly tune and the limited sunshine was blocked out all of a sudden, enveloping Ichigo in darkness. Sirens went off in his brain and he instinctively knew something was wrong. Confused and anxious, he looked up. 

“What the fuck...” 

Above him was a face. An extremely large face. Grinning maniacally. He struggled to tear his horrified stare from it's sinisterly curled mouth, only to be fixated on its eyes. Their gaze met, the _thing's_ blue orbs gleamed with something _evil_. A demonic desire. Despite _knowing_ that there was no god, Ichigo found himself desperately praying for he had no clue as to what on earth he was staring at other than that it was in no way good. The _thing_ reached down towards Ichigo with an open palm that clearly wanted to grab him. The closer it got, the more the actual size of the _thing_ dawned on him. Its hand alone must have been at least double his size. It was also completely bare, he finally noticed. It was all flesh, like some kind of devil-incarnation-humanoid-Kurotsuchi-experiment-gone-wrong-demon-thing. _Kurotsuchi?_

When the _thing's_ limb was a mere couple of centimetres from Ichigo's face, his survival instincts kicked in, not a moment too soon. Without a second thought, he launched himself from his seated position into a full blown sprint in one swift movement. He didn't need to look behind him to know the _thing_ was following him, he could hear it crashing through the trees as if it had never ran in its life. Ichigo sped up, causing the scenery in his peripheral vision to become a verdant blur. It was because of that he didn't notice a second _thing_ coming in from the left and jumping in front of him. Ichigo skidded to slow down a little and darted around its legs, just barely missing a gigantic, clumsy swipe. They may have been big but that didn't stop them from being fast. He identified the issue of running too quickly but he didn't stop. In fact, he just picked up in speed. He had no idea that it wasn't just two _things_ anymore. 

A clearing was in sight, filling Ichigo with relief which jostled around with his adrenalin, only proving to make him go that extra bit faster. He couldn't remember running this fast previously in his life. But then again he couldn't remember a whole lot about his life prior to ten minutes ago. However, he wasn't all that bothered by that _minor detail_ , due to the fact that he was being chased by something he deemed worse than the devil. 

__-_-_-__

Levi wasn't particularly looking forward to what the day had in store. 

He hadn't slept, again. His insomnia just seemed to be getting progressively worse and worse the more time went by. He had ended up scrubbing the floor five times last night after lying in bed for four hours, staring at the ceiling before deeming his efforts futile. Although it had been quite funny when Connie came into deliver the plans and slipped up not only when he first entered the room but also numerous times after while attempting to stand. However, the comical relief only lasted so long, he had also been the one to inform him of the rather dreadful schedule. 

“Ah.. err...” Connie was blushing wildly, obviously embarrassed.  
“Yes?” Levi's expression remained unchanged despite what he felt underneath. Easier for the boy that way.  
“Yes” Connie stood upright, finally, daring to brush himself off just a little – not too much, he feared he would fall again if he got too comfortable.  
“So, today” He began before he went on to read off the clipboard he had in his arms in a rather monotonous tone. “Commander Erwin would like you to observe the new recruits, point out the one's who aren't suited, at seven hundred hours. Then, there's a meeting with... Hanji wrote “Hi-hats”... guess that means higher ups or something-”  
“I know what she means” Levi cut him off to prevent a tangent.  
“Yeah, that's at nine hundred hours followed by an expedition with the scouting legion. I wasn't told why. I guess the commander or someone or other will tell you since you're a-”  
“Yes Connie” Levi cut him off again.  
“That's it err... hope we don't die?” Connie concluded.  
“I hope we don't die. Goodbye Connie”  
“Bye captain” 

The door shut behind him and Levi let out an exasperated sigh. Too many people had been dying on useless missions lately, no doubt this would be the same. He clasped his hands around the edge of the sink which protruded out of the wall and hunched over slightly, gazing at his reflection in the spotless mirror. He was a mess. Rogue hairs stuck out from his orderly fringe and his undercut was getting a little long for his liking. No worries, he could fix that rather quickly and efficiently. What he couldn't fix were the dark rings that hung from his eyes, the bags were so heavy, they looked like they could fall off at any second. Above them were his eyes, small iris' glaring back at him. He really hated that, they made him so unapproachable and scary. He had been born with his face, no way to change that, so he grew into the him that people perceived. The purple though? That was his own doing. It started as something he could control but developed into a habit and then? A diagnosed condition. He got three hours of sleep per night if he was lucky – last time he checked. He splashed the water that had accumulated in the sink with frustration, splattering the floor. He regretted that, it needed cleaning now. Hanji told him he was just being too finicky, that stuff like this wasn't even dirt. But it wasn't _just_ dirt that bothered Levi. It was disarray. 

He darted to the cupboard that was situated above his useless bed and whipped it open, quickly retrieving a cloth from the neatly assorted range of cleaning products and utensils. He then dashed over to the spillage, correcting it in two quick swipes of the cloth. He breathed a sigh of relief, returning the cloth but before closing the cupboard, he grabbed his razor and headed over to the mirror. Eyeing his actions with scrutiny and taking extreme care with every one of his strokes, he re-shaved his undercut. Once he was finished, he used some of the water in the sink (only once he had washed away the shavings) to tame the stray hairs. Perfect. That part of his appearance he could control. With one last check to make sure everything was pristine, he made his way out of his room and into the fresh air. 

__-_-_-__

His first task was as dismal as he had anticipated as well as disheartening. This year's batch of trainees just weren't cut out for the job; the instant they saw a titan they'd probably freeze and let it gobble them up with no resistance. He saw maybe four or five which seemed capable, but with that being said, it was a well-known fact that most people eligible went to the military police, a stupid waste of talent. Eren's year had been a miracle, a miracle which probably wouldn't get a re-run anytime soon. Distracting himself from the shambles that was the recruitment method, Levi watched a particularly scrawny boy from their vantage on the small wall and pointed him out to Erwin. 

“I don't think starving muscles are all that strong” Levi stated, expression unchanging as always.  
“I believe he's already under a tight watch, close to being removed from the programme” Erwin informed him, but only received a slight nod in response. 

__-_-_-__

Levi had almost fallen asleep in the meeting. He even yawned as he exited the room. It was always the same yapping, Erwin wanting more funding so he could deal with the losses as well as feed those who were alive under his command and the higher ups expressing their almighty opinions such as “The scouting legion is a waste of money, time and resources. What have you accomplished?” followed by Erwin explaining what they had achieved for the hundredth time, only to be dismissed with an “It is clear that nothing needs to be changed”. Levi's presence was mandatory but unnecessary. The whole meeting was mandatory but unnecessary, nothing ever changed. But, it that very same sense, he welcomed that. If nothing changed, there wasn't going to be any disarray to deal with. 

__-_-_-__

It was time for the part of the day Levi dreaded most; the expedition. Figures were running through his head, just how many soldiers would they loose today? Last month alone it was thirty-eight, the month before that twenty-nine and they had a break so he couldn't remember the exact numbers further back. He wanted to punch the mirror he was staring into, he should remember that. He left his sink, only to return to his reflection with a battered leather book. The pages were yellowed with age and slightly crumpled. He had also forgotten when he had purchased the book, but that was on the first page so he needn't worry. He flipped through the pages until he reached just over half way. 

**Page 219**

___Date: XX/XX/XX_  
Expedition: XXX  


_Expected casualties: 34_  
Casualties: 42  
Notes: Chose to attend the funerals of Xxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxx. 

___Date: XX/XX/XX_  
Expedition: XXX  


_Expected casualties: 37_  
Casualties: 29  
Notes: Chose to attend the funerals of Xxxxx Xxxxxxx and Xxx Xxxxxxx. 

___Date: XX/XX/XX_  
Expedition: XXX  


_Expected casualties: 36_  
Casualties: 40  
Notes: Chose to attend the funeral of Xxxxxxx Xxxx. 

___Date:_  
Expedition:  


_Expected casualties:_  
Casualties:  
Notes: 

With a sigh, he began to scribble down the details for today's exploit. _Date... xx/xx/xx... Expedition... xxx... Expected casualties... 37..._  
The rest would be filled most likely a few days later, once Hanji had completed the paperwork. He would do it himself but Hanji had demanded that they do it, with it “obviously taking a toll” on him. Much like himself, everyone else who had been present were confused as to how Hanji had come to that conclusion. Levi was an unchanging constant in their lives. 

With one last hate-fueled glare at his reflection, he replaced the book onto his bedside table. There wasn't a whole lot in his room aside from the bed, bedside table, cupboard and sink-mirror combo. He liked it that way, less to deal with. 

__-_-_-__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was that! I plan on updating every Tuesday, hopefully.


	3. Futile Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi runs into an unexpected variable during his mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I missed Tuesday! I had it ready but got carried away with sorting out my room >.< I'll be on target next time

Wind rushed by, howling in the ears of each soldier as the survey corps rode their horses at equally fast speeds. Aside from the atmospheric disturbance they had caused with their racing, it was a beautiful day, _mockingly so_ , Levi internally scoffed. The sun was beating down with a such a fierceness, it could easily be mistaken for ferocity. It also happened to be spring, resulting in various species of airborne seeds flitting through the air, adding a slight mystical ambience to the scene. It was incredibly ironic, contrasting greatly with the outlook of the next chain of events he had envisioned with his mind's eye. Nothing good ever came from missions this day and age and the slight sliver of hope that somehow this would change was just that, a mere sliver. At this point, Levi was questioning not only his own sanity but the survey corps and everyone involved as a whole. 

Despite this, he rode on, leading the orderly group of green caped riders towards a rather large and foreboding forest. It wasn't hard to miss since they were currently traversing through a massive expanse which consisted of nothing but grass at first glance. However, with a little scrutiny, one could pick up on all manner of disturbing little details obscured by the uncontrolled vegetation, like the dismembered arm his horse had almost trodden on a few seconds ago. With an inward sigh, Levi turned his attention to their destination, it was only a five-minute gallop away now. As he did so, he also noticed something else, something a little more out of the ordinary.

“AGGGHHHHHH!”

A shrill scream erupted into the air from somewhere close behind him. After a short scan through his memories for the formation, he concluded that it would've come from one of the newbies that enrolled no less than nine days ago. Whoever it was, he had to commend them for their awareness although the chosen means in which to alert their fellow comrades was a demerit. Null.

He shook his head as though to somehow physically shake away the tangent which clouded his thoughts, he couldn't distance himself from the situation at hand or it could become quite dire. He looked on, analysing the forest and realised what exactly was amiss; the trees. The ridiculously tall structures were vibrating, suggesting that a force of some description was creating tremors. There were two logical scenarios, both fairly devasting, debatably equally threatening.

Scenario one: An earthquake. In which case, they should head back immediately and steer clear from anything which could collapse, including trees.  
Scenario two: A humongous herd of titans. With nothing to grapple onto with the 3D manoeuvre gear, they only really had one solution; to turn around and race back to the walls as quickly as possible.

There was only one solution either way.

Leaving only 9 seconds to spare after his analysis, Levi hurriedly retrieved the smoke gun from his side and shot a stream of coloured powder into the air. As expected, this ended up with a line of coloured strikes into the sky across the entirety of the squad, just like they had planned. The body of people simultaneously changed direction in almost perfect unison and spread out. It was so cleanly executed, it almost brought a smile to Levi's face. Unfortunately, what happened next didn't go as smoothly.

“Titans!” Exclaimed one of the soldiers and the news quickly travelled across to each member.  
 _Okay then,_ Levi thought _Scenario two it is._ It was fine, nothing that couldn't be avoided since they had noticed quite early on, they effectively had a head start of sorts.

“Wait... There's a person!” The same voice from earlier shouted.  
 _A person?_  
“There's a person! There's a person running towards us!”  
Levi flicked his head back and just as he had been informed, there was indeed a person running towards them... at what must've been an inhuman speed. The figure was just ahead of the massive group of titans but was distancing themselves fast, soon there was more of a length between them and the titan than there was between them and the survey corp. _How is that even possible..._  
“Keep moving!” Levi ordered without even a hint of remorse, after all, the stranger seemed like they would reach them regardless of whether or not they slowed down by his judgement. He wasn't wrong. Not before long, he could make out the person in much more detail. He had a mop of bright orange hair and wore some sort of white, baggy garment. The whole get up practically screamed alien but it didn't stop Levi from what he did next.

Once the stranger was inbound, he called out to him.  
“Orange!”  
The sprinting man looked towards him, eyes wild and clearly panicked. Levi held out his palm, holding the reigns of his horse in his left. Without any hint of hesitation, the other man clasped his hands around his with an iron grip, threatening to cut off the blood supply to Levi's fingers. In response, he only slightly grimaced while heaving him up onto his horse, quite a feat while in motion. With surprisingly little difficulty, the man clambered onto the available space behind Levi, breathing heavily with no signs of calming down anytime soon. However, he was forced to dismiss this and take full hold of the reigns, his top priority was to escape the titans which were in pursuit. In fact, he'd been so caught up in aiding the ginger he hadn't realised how far they had actually distanced themselves from their pursuers already. There was a good couple hundred metres between them by now and the gap was lengthening substantially by the second. He took this blessing as an opportunity to deal with the man he had just picked up.

“Who are you?” He almost had to yell, the wind snatched most of the sound away. The orange man behind him was managing to maintain a perfect balance despite holding onto nothing stable upon a mobile horse.  
“I...I.. d...” He wasn't speaking loud enough, allowing the wind to easily do away with his voice.  
“Louder!” Levi barked with very little patience.  
“I don't know!” The ginger blurted out.  
“How can you not know?!” He responded almost directly after the sentence had left the man's lips. This was not good.  
“I just don't!”  
He wasn't lying, he could tell that much. He decided to leave the rest of the questioning for when they were no longer being trailed by man-eating monstrosities. With a bite of the lip and a crease in the brow, he turned his attention to the task at hand and urged his horse to move faster with a flick of the wrist. 

-_-_-_-

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Ichigo watched as little droplets of water splashed onto the ground in the corner of his small and hopefully temporary chamber. Initially, he had started counting each individual splatter but that had gotten tedious very quickly. He never understood why people advised him to count sheep when struggling to sleep, he didn't have the attention span nor the general will to do so. He sighed and went to prop his head upon his hands, only for his shackles to restrain his arm a few centre metres out of range. He sighed again and glanced over to the man who had not only potentially saved him from the salivating jaws of death but also knocked him out and presumably landed him in his current situation. 

It had all taken him by surprise really. When he first registered that he was running towards a group of people, he didn't think too much of it due to his mind being pre-occupied by the grotesque predators on his tail. He just noted it as a possible escape route and made a beeline for them. Of course, they ended up noticing but he wasn't too sure whether they'd offer to aid him. Thankfully, they did. The man who was situated at the centre of the formation had called out to him and stretched out a rather short arm. He later learned that his name was Levi, a bit of a big deal among the people present at the event. The man had asked him for his own name and at that moment, his mind went blank. He had absolutely no idea and it wasn't until he woke up that it came to him. 

So Levi had essentially rescued him and not before long, they had reached an incredibly tall wall topped with the occasional cannon and a few people. Upon realising the squad was approaching, the people went from standing idly and chatting to barking orders and allowing the group entry. Ichigo was already very disoriented from waking up with no recollection of anything, being chased, rescued and what happened next did not help one bit to clear his mind. As they passed through the entry, a city was revealed. Upon first glance, Ichigo would've called it a village due to the style of housing (very cottage like) however, it was much larger than he originally thought. The horses slowed down, gate closed and civilians streamed out of the aforementioned houses, some cheering and some looking on with a certain wariness that made Ichigo feel uneasy. He also got a few strange looks himself, but that came as no surprise. These people had obviously been expecting the group of green caped people to return but not with a bright haired, white clothed man as well. That was when he evaluated his situation fully and felt a wave of emotion akin to embarrassment wash over him. He really stook out and an odd feeling told him that what he had on currently was not generally a part his own wardrobe either. 

Somebody up front announced that there were “No deaths!” which caused the accumulated crowd to transform from dubious looks and cautious cheer to explosions of joy and applause. It made sense now, they had returned from what Ichigo deemed as almost certain death with zero casualties. The troops neared what must've been their destination and the horses gradually came to a stop. Levi hopped down from his mount which was when Ichigo could see the full extent of his height. _Probably level with Orihime_ he judged. _Orihime?_ Strange names kept popping into his head with no context or attachment to anyone in his memories. 

Levi beckoned him to step down as well, so he did. That was when the strangest thing happened, which had to be pretty weird considering the events of the day. There was a blip in what Ichigo knew to call “spiritual pressure” despite not knowing what it meant. All of a sudden, the soldiers around him cowered, almost all of them collapsed to the ground with a few exceptions. Although all seemed affected if only a little bit, Levi being one who dipped his head and grimaced. It took Ichigo by surprise and distracted him so much that he didn't notice Levi's leg move before he was already on the ground, the short man disabling his arms with one hand and delivering a firm fist to his temple with the other. The next thing he knew, Ichigo was shackled to a rather uncomfortable bed within a small jail cell. The man who committed the earlier deed was propped against the wall outside of his confines, scowling at him with dark eyes. A charming first impression.

“What was that?” The man questioned but it came across as more of an order.  
“Spiritual pressure” Ichigo replied automatically.  
“Which is?”  
“I don't know” Ichigo really didn't like the outlook of how this interrogation was going to go.  
“How can you not know?”  
“I don't know much at all, I just know what it's called because it came to me. I mean, I don't even know my n-” He cut himself off. Levi just glared at him, clearly impatient.  
“My name is Ichigo Kurosaki”  
“Age?” Levi fired at him, seemingly abandoning his last query for the more promising questions.  
“Fifteen”  
“Hometown?”  
“Karakura”  
“Nationality?”  
“Japanese”  
“Family?”  
“Father, two sisters”  
“Their names?”  
“I don't know” Ichigo hit another mental brick wall. He hadn't even known that he had that kind of information within him until asked and yet he was still unable to recall the details.  
“Okay, that's a start” Levi's expression seemed to soften, _slightly_. “Do you have a job?”  
“Sort of” Ichigo frowned at his own response.  
“Okay... what is it?”  
“I'm a soul reaper” Ichigo was met with silence after that for a good long minute.  
“What on earth does that mean?” Levi asked, finally.  
“On earth, they're fictional” Ichigo wished he hadn't said that.  
“Don't mess around” Levi stated with a grave expression. He seemed incredibly tired. “How are you a soul reaper?”  
“My dad was one”  
“So?” Levi just seemed to get angrier with each response since the topic was brought up.  
Ichigo actually had no idea, these answers were leaving him without much of his own thought as if the questions had triggered an automatic response. He rolled through the plausible answers until one came to him that felt right.  
“It's genetic”  
“I thought you said it was a job” Levi replied with an exasperated tone.  
“I said sort of” It was true but only earned him a glare. “It's not really a human occupation”  
“You're not human?”  
“Half”  
“Half human, half soul reaper” Levi began “This all sounds quite ridiculous but whatever happened earlier wasn't exactly normal”  
The conversation seemed to taper off at that point which allowed Ichigo to take in his situation fully.

He soon realised that under such conditions, he would've normally been quite _vocal_ in the angered sense. But with how overwhelming everything prior to this moment had been, he'd just complied with the circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Levi and Ichigo have met! It can't go too well for this unknown and possibly dangerous entity... can it...?


	4. A Free "It"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo's Hollow runs free and uncontrolled while news of what exactly Aizen is up to hits the soul society

_“Shiro”_

There was a crash. Blood splatter. Cackling.

_“Shiro”_

Then a scream. Strained breathing. Running.

_“SHIRO”_

There was a halt. A blessing. Pleading.

“WHAT?” the creature spat, its demonic smile transforming into a disgruntled curl. It had come out of nowhere and ransacked the small settlement the rejected Arrancar had made within minutes. Crimson contrasted greatly with the bland sands of Hueco Mundo. The leader of the settlement cowered, back pressed against rubble, gazing at it with fear-stricken eyes. She didn't know what to call it, the thing radiated with hollow reitsu but it was no hollow; it was far worse. She vaguely recognised the figure but was too overwhelmed to track down the memory.

“Fuck off”

She flinched and it took her second to realise that it was not, in fact, talking to her, but something she couldn't see. Without a doubt, the creature was crazed. She couldn't call it a hollow, it had no mask and was completely white in appearance with the exception of parts of garment and eyes. She imagined that if you completely stripped the most malicious hollow, you would find what currently loomed over her.

“You can't stop me! Hueco Mundo is mine to play with!”

It continued to talk to his invisible companion and she was grateful. Every second he had his attention turned away from her, hope grew. With this new found hope came clarity and she was finally starting to picture the thing in her memories.

“Self-control?!? 'course I have it! I just choose to not exact it”

Yes, it was coming to her now.

“Prove it? Why should'a?”

This didn't make sense.

“A'right, if that's what it takes, so be it!”

Was this Aizen's doing?

“So lil' uhh Arrancar, I'm sure you'll be 'appy to hear that-”  
“Shinigami!” She blurted out before clasping her hands around her mouth, deadlock.   
“What?” He bent down to look her in the eyes, causing her to retreat even further into herself, shivering.  
“Y-you look... you look like a shinigami...” She mumbled, barely attaining the courage to do so.  
“HA!” It barked. “You think I'm a shinigami!” He continued in fits of boisterous laughter. She blushed.  
“Well no...” She started to defend herself and managed to gain the thing's interest while doing so.  
“Explain yah self” He demanded.  
“Well... there was a shinigami running through here... I heard he got caught by Aizen”  
“Mmmhmm”  
“And err... you look like him but with less colour I guess” She concluded.  
“Yah yah...” He acknowledged her judgement. “I see, I get yah. Yah think am Ichigo”  
“I don't know any names” She explained.  
“Orange hair?” It questioned.  
“...yes” she said cautiously.  
“That's enough tah know it's 'im” It responded, chuckling at his own remark. She couldn't believe she was having a civil conversation with the blood-thirsty monster.  
“Are you... a product of Aizen's experiments on him?” She inquired, gaining confidence.  
“Yeah but not like what ya thinking. I was an experiment from year an' years ago. Although, what Aizen did just now has freed me” He seemed to look off into the distance but quickly snapped himself back to reality. “Now, ya can live”  
Her expression lit up.   
“But”  
Her expression dimmed.  
“Yah chillin' with me, kay? I got a kingdom tah run an' I ain't doing it by myself” She knew there was only one answer.  
“Okay” She said, unwillingly.  
“THERE! Told yah so!” It jumped into the air with a fist bump, _talking to the air again_ she clocked on. “I HAVE got self-control!”

The future didn't look so bright.

_-_-_-_

“Rukia!” Renji shouted, dashing towards the one who he had addressed. He was panting, having scouted almost the entirety of the soul society in order to find her. He eventually happened upon her in one of the alleys.  
“Renji?” Rukia responded, she had a grave look in her eyes; she hadn't improved much over the week Ichigo had been captured. The soul society was in an uproar, Ichigo being one of their trump cards against Aizen due to his sheer strength and the fact that he wouldn't be afflicted by the hypnosis, having not seen the former captains Shikai. Well, before he was ripped away from them, that was.  
“We know what's happened to Ichigo!” Renji exclaimed, Rukia couldn't quite gauge whether the emotion behind it was positive or negative.  
“Seriously?” She asked, bewildered. “That was quick!”  
“Kurotsuchi's bugs still managed to make it, on auto-pilot or something, even though the mission went so sourly” He further explained.  
“So? What happened?” Rukia asked, eager to know about the condition of her friend.  
“Do you want the good news... or the bad news?” Renji asked, looking to the floor as he did so.  
“Let's start with the positives I guess” Rukia sighed, she knew not to get her hopes up.  
“Well, Aizen no longer has him and we're fairly certain he's not dead” Renji smiled weakly.  
“Fairly? What do you mean fairly? What happened?” The grave look returned to Rukia's eyes.  
“Well...” He began. “Aizen seems to have separated him from his zanpaktou... and hollow. The hollow is running around Hueco Mundo freely causing a ruckus, Aizen doesn't seem to care, and Aizen has Zangetsu captive”  
“And Ichigo?”  
Renji's smile diminished. “We don't know where he is exactly... but we have an idea”  
“Spit it out Renji, don't beat around the bush with me” Rukia ordered.  
“He's... he's been shunted elsewhere. Possibly not even this realm, according to Kisuke. The reason why he's suspected to be alive is because Zangetsu and the hollow are, but their power should drain quite quickly due to the separation. So we can't really count on them to tell us if he's alive or not”  
“But...” Rukia bit her lip. “What does this mean... what can we do?”  
“Kisuke and Kurotsuchi have agreed to work together again on it” Renji stated.  
“Ah... I just hope he's... alright” Rukia said, flashes of the event coming back to her.   
Renji gave her shoulder a firm tug. “He's not with Aizen and he's strong, even without his zanpaktou, I'm sure he'll be alright “ He reassure her.  
“Yeah... he is strong” Rukia knew she didn't sound confident but it was the most she could muster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if Chapters seem to be getting smaller, I have my GCSE's this year so I'm trying to revise while juggling my hobbies and social activities on top of this. I'll try my best to keep to the weekly schedule though!


	5. A familiar dripping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo's fate is made known to him and it doesn't seem to be all that nice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooh! Tuesday update! Actually keeping to the timetable! Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Also referring to Hanji as "they" because their gender is not, and probably will never be, confirmed.

Ichigo jolted awake with a start, gasping desperately for air. His eyes went wild, pupils erratically darting about the room in order to gather an understanding of where on earth he was. He had broken into a cold sweat and shivered uncontrollably. He went to clasp his hands around his arms to quell his quaking but his restraints limited his movement, causing the metal to painfully dig into his wrists.

Drip... drip... drip...

He registered the somewhat familiar sound and it clicked. Events of the day before came flooding back to him, he would have face-palmed if he had the capability. As his realisation calmed him, he stopped shaking and swiped the sweat-mated strands of hair from his forehead. After hastily taking care of the aftermath of his waking, he looked up and sure enough, _he_ was there.

The man who had named himself Levi was sat backwards on a chair, facing Ichigo's cell, sound asleep with his head lolling over the edge. He couldn't image that being overly comfortable but from the look of his hooded eyes, Ichigo judged that he didn't often get his beauty sleep - if any, so he wasn't about to wake him up. It was at that point that Ichigo decided to be as still as possible to prevent the possibility of disturbing the unconscious man out of courtesy for saving him and maybe a little pity, or something along that line; Ichigo wasn't too sure what it was, it was just compelling. Carefully, he resumed his earlier position, slouched against the wall with arms slack either side of him. It was as cosy as cosy could get when shackled in a damp cellar against your own will. A chill ran down his spine and he soon found himself longing to be at home in his own bed. He paused and reverted to that last thought but it was already gone. These pieces from his past kept resurfacing only to sink deeper into the murky waters of his subconscious. They were like jigsaw puzzle pieces but not only did he have to fit them all together, he also had to go on an extensive hunt for even a mere chance to find them.

He began to review what he _did_ know.  
 _I am fifteen years old._  
I come from Karakura town, Japan.  
I have a family.  
I am a soul reaper.

_What does that even mean?_

He stared absentmindedly at his feet. He wore sandals which were quite muddy after the discourse the day before, much like the rest of his clothes. He chuckled internally as he realised that his outward appearance resembled what he was inside; blank. Sighing, he put his eyes to rest and willed himself to sleep, knowing it was an almost futile task. 

_-_-_-_

Footsteps echoed across the hall, reverberating and bouncing off the stone walls that lined the passageway. The owner of the noise had a lantern in hand, the light glancing off the shiny rocks and adding to the ambience of the setting. Their glasses too glinted, a slightly ominous effect when combined with the devious grin on their face. However, the expression was soon dropped as the steps came to a halt in front of an occupied cell. They surveyed what lay before them with confusion that soon evolved into happiness, topped off with a fond smile. 

“I really don't want to wake him up” Hanji whisper-whined for sympathy to the captive orange-haired boy. He nodded in agreement, looking on at the sleeping man.  
“How long?” Hanji mouthed while motioning to their hand as if to mimic checking a watch. Ichigo shrugged and held up six fingers, guessing. A big smiled erupted onto Hanji's face but it soon dissipated, as they had business to be getting on with and, unfortunately, Levi was needed. They placed a hand upon his shoulder and Levi cracked an eye open.  
“Wakey wakey sleeping beauty” They teased, but it wasn't malicious, just playful.   
“...How long?” Levi groaned a little.  
“Around six hours, give or take thirty minutes” Hanji informed him.   
“That's why I feel like crap” Levi concluded.  
Ichigo observed what was transpiring, confusion clouding his face. Hanji must have picked up on this because they wasted no time before clearing up what Levi meant.  
“If you want to feel refreshed when you wake up, you've got to sleep an appropriate amount, at least six hours. Although, if you sleep under three hours, you're tricking your body into thinking it's power napping essentially and it doesn't induce the full sleep cycle so you don't disrupt anything when you wake up, whereas you would if you only slept somewhere in between that range, in simple terms”   
Ichigo simply nodded, not bothering with trying to be too comprehensible after only sleeping a small amount himself.  
“What's today's schedule? I presume that's what you're here for” Levi interjected.  
“Ah yes, I am” Hanji confirmed. “This involves you too, actually” Hanji motioned to Ichigo, causing him to lean a little closer to pay attention from within his confines.  
“Sadly, that spike of... what we've called a gravitational alteration, had too many witnesses since it was spread over such a large area and therefore we cannot cover it up. This has correlated to Ichigo's arrival and eyewitness reports state that the man was not affected by it. The judge has come to the conclusion that you” Hanji motioned to Ichigo once more. “are the cause of this recent surge and are a potential danger as well as an unknown and unpredictable entity. You could face life-long imprisonment for the sake of our safety”  
“Wh-What?! But I haven't done anything! Nothing major anyway, I didn't hurt anyone!” Ichigo protested, loudly.  
“Shut up” Levi ordered in a harsh tone. “You're giving me a headache”  
Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but ended up closing it again, not wanting to be more trouble than he already was.  
“Well, it's not the only option” Hanji continued. “If you can prove yourself to be useful, we can do another Jaeger for you”  
“Jaeger?” Ichigo questioned. _jeagerjaquez._  
“One of our most valued soldiers. A lot like you actually” Levi explained and Hanji nodded in agreement to the latter.  
“He's got a bit of a... _complication_... much like yourself. We managed to convince the jury that he'd be useful and I'd imagine it'll be easier for you. You're not as, well, compromising”  
Ichigo could take a hint and refrained from asking about what was so compromising just yet. 

Levi rose from his awkward seated position and obtained a set of rustic keys from his pocket, flipping them in the air casually as he advanced towards Ichigo's cell. While the man was incredibly intimidating appearance wise, something about his mannerisms told Ichigo otherwise, although, he still knew there was something incredibly off and _wrong_ about the shorter person. He entered the cell and removed the cuffs from the wall but left the shackles clasped around Ichigo's wrists, severely limiting his range of mobility. Of course, he still had his legs so he wasn't totally useless. He reckoned he could get out of the situation with only a little difficulty, however, it wouldn't be all that beneficial. As it stood, his life was not in danger and this world was brand new and quite frankly _terrifying_. Without some sort of semblance of a guide, he knew he'd be screwed, no matter what trials he may have overcome in the past. _If I had landed in Hueco Mundo with nothing to aid me, it would be pretty similiar_.

_Wait._

No. It was gone. A memory had surfaced again, only to drift down to the bottom as quickly as it had appeared. _Damn it_.

The trio traversed through corridor upon corridor before reaching a wooden, archaic-looking staircase. In fact, the whole place looked rather old and ancient, made almost entirely of cobbled stone and the bars that were comprised of the many cells he had passed on his journey were all rusted and damaged by time. Ichigo couldn't image that they'd hold out all that long under minor force, hence why the shackles had been put in place, presumably. They were much better maintained. Although, upon closer inspection, he did notice a little dried blood on some. He gathered this was a dungeon or underground jail of sorts and a rather nasty one at that.

Upon reaching the set of stairs, Ichigo caught a glimpse of light coming from a source other than the unstable candle flickering in Hanji's hand. Natural light. He didn't know how much he had longed for it until it bathed him once again, almost cleansing him with a fresh wave while also making him hypersensitive to the mucky state he was in. Blackened mud matted his hair and patched his once pristine white _shihakushō_. _What a strange article of clothing_. He thought, although, it felt quite natural to be wearing the traditional attire, something was just a little off about it, aside from the stains.

After a short climb, Ichigo found himself on a much more lavish floor, especially in comparison to the previous. The walls were decorated with royal blue wallpaper and they'd pass the occasional oil painting of an important looking figure. There were also emblems, some of which matched the ones that donned the uniforms of Levi and Hanji. Their suits were practically polar opposites of his own, very quirky and unusual but in a way that could be passed for fashion in high-end modern society. Meanwhile, his traditional clothing was just that, traditional.

After a much shorter travel period, they reached two broad oak doors which were intimidatingly large.   
“We wanted to plan this out really, but the higher ups wouldn't have it. They wanted this to be dealt with as soon as possible” Hanji explained apologetically.   
“Some context would help” Ichigo said with light sarcasm.   
“You're going to attend a trial” Levi stated without beating about the bush, intensifying his glare in response to the snarky comment. Ichigo's jaw dropped.  
“Wh-what? Why didn't you say so earlier! All that awkward silence on the way here, so many opportunities!” Ichigo protested, this was ridiculous.  
“Didn't want you trying anything, oh and good news!” Hanji's eyes lit up.  
“What?” Ichigo asked, a ray of hope illuminating his prospects, but it was misplaced.  
Hanji's face darkened and a manic grin spread across their face, from ear to ear.  
“If you're ruled out as dangerous, I get to keep you... for _experimental purposes_ ” They giggled.  
Ichigo recoiled within himself. _Not another Kurotsuchi..._

He was starting to get the impression that this Kurotsuchi guy that kept popping up wasn't doing so for a good reason.


	6. King of the Next Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro proclaims himself King along with his Queen in his little game of royalty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Shiro stuffs, sorry if it bores you. I wrote this last minute and I have the plot planned out in sections but events in the sections don't have a set order so I wrote this part because it was easier to do under a time limit.

“I. Am. KING!” It bellowed, its distorted voice ringing through the newly built castle, causing some nearby hollows to cower. She winced a little herself, which was understandable. After all, she was sat right next to him on an adjoining throne. How she got into her current situation was unbelievable, she would've laughed if someone had told her she'd be the queen of Hueco Mundo even a week ago.

It was almost as astounding as the amount of time it took to erect their new grandiose residence.

It had all began shortly after she had been picked up by someone who she later knew as Shiro. While he was male and almost human in appearance, she had refused to give it the appropriate pronouns and instead settled on “it” and “thing”. The thing had torn through her settlement and ripped her make-shift family members to shreds right in front of her, she'd be insane to treat him just an ounce of respect, never mind fully. However, thanks to his heinous crimes, she had had nowhere to go and ended up following him on a quest for royalty to the point where it seemed to _like_ her so much that it pronounced her as its queen. As ludicrous as it may sound, she didn't really care, as she traced her fingers on the arm of the chair, running through the ornate grooves. This was her life now and, aside from the traumatic incidents earlier, it was pretty god damn good. 

Lower hollows cowered before them. They may not have a whole lot of activity inside of their brains aside from instinctual thoughts but they still _knew_ their places before their new king. A couple of stronger creatures had attempted to oppose them, mostly adjuncha idiots but there was a Vasto Lorde once. All of them had succumbed to their demise under the looming shadow of Shiro. Now, most understand that Shiro's power is not to be trifled with and either steer clear or do its bidding for a range of reasons. Some seek a haven from more formidable hollows who may try to eat them (Shiro has no hunger for hollows, she wasn't even sure if it experienced the sensation of hunger at all) or from the ominous “Las Noches” a long ways north from their establishment. Other's because they accidentally got themselves caught within the premises one way or another and are simply too scared to leave. Nevertheless, they had a range of servants, which certainly made life a whole lot easier. But that wasn't their only purpose. Shiro had accumulated such a large quantity of underlings, they were able to build their new home in no more than two single days. Even now, there were still works going on to expand the palace. She didn't see there being an end to Shiro's plans for the building, he kept meeting with a certain adjuncha with a knack for blueprints and construction. 

The main positive of her new found home was everything that wasn't to do with Shiro really. Back when she was leading her small tribe, they had very poor living conditions and standards. Their shelters consisted of caves and makeshift tents, the latter rarely held long against the frequent sand storms that ploughed through the land. It wasn't uncommon to wake up to find that one or two members had been buried alive overnight, much rarer to find them still breathing after excavating in search of bodies. 

In Shiro's castle (which had yet to be named), she needn't worry about all of those fears that used to make up her daily routine within the tribe. She had a comfortable bed to sleep in (A rather human accommodation really, something told her that Shiro missed the comforts of where ever he came from) within a secure room that harsh weather couldn't even do so much as scratch. Her every whim was attended to as well, if she was in need of sustenance to sate her hunger, a hunting party would set out and retrieve a selection of hollows to suit her taste. Shiro kept out of the way most of the time as well, so she didn't have to deal with the tension and discomfort she felt when within his vicinity. Strangely, she didn't hate him and, looking back on her time with the tribe, the bonds she had with the now dead hollows were more so based on a mutual need for protection rather than anything intimate or meaningful. She was just incredibly aware of his capabilities, _more so than anyone else_ , she believed. If anything, she should be glad for what had come to pass, but that didn't mean she'd spend more time than she needed to with it. Speaking of such times, it only really called her to make up for appearances before his subjects in the throne room. Although, they weren't really King and Queen. It was a big game. She'd learnt that quite quickly. Shiro certainly did want to be a king of sorts, but not of Hueco Mundo. She had dared to ask him once when they were still searching for the perfect location a few days ago. 

“I...I have a question” The female hollow piped up after a prolonged silence. Shiro took a break from framing the scene below him between his fingers, acting like a flamboyant photographer trying to picture the perfect shot. He cocked his head to the side a little with curiosity, signalling for her to proceed.

“Why do you want to be king of a place like _this_?” She motioned to her barren surroundings with a hint disgust.  
“'Cause it'll hafta do” He responded while shrugging.   
“You mean... there's something more that you want?” She clocked on.   
“Yah... but” His usual manic smile transforming into a slight frown. “It ain't possible no more. I only got half” He said, pointing to his temple. 

_Which is why you should stop goofing around and release me. We can bring him back_

“NO WE CAN'T” Shiro suddenly roared, leaving the female hollow bewildered for a few second before coming to the conclusion he was talking to the person that didn't exist.  
“We gotta accept reality” He explained in a much calmer tone. “He's gone” 

The hollow wiped her eyes and blinked a couple of times in disbelief. He almost seemed sad for a second. Unbeknownst to her, he was. Extremely so. He was being torn apart from the inside.

Both metaphorically and literally.


	7. Intergration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ruling is passed and Ichigo is now in the custody of the survey corps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer than last time I think, still did it on the day though XD

“It has been decided that Levi may take custody of yet another unpredictable entity with the promise of added efficiency within the survey corps. All those in favour?”

Ichigo looked about himself in awe as the majority of the jury raised their hands and essentially accepted him in a round about way. 

“That brings this trial to a close” The bearded man at the head of the room stated as he sat down, allowing the rest of the room to dissolve from stern, upright postures and choking silence to casual gestures and conversations as all those present slowly streamed out of the room. However, Ichigo did not allow himself the luxury of winding down, this world was still unknown to him aside from his brief trip/escape into the city and from the cellar to the court within the same building. He did not even relax his posture when Hanji placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to coax him into calming down. Even though the jury had deemed him as being held in “safe hands”, it did not mean that he was actually safe. His prospects for the future did not look too bright, from what he had gathered, the survey corps were the one that had rescued him – as in the ones that frequently went on escapades outside of the walls. _But beggars can't be choosers_ he thought. 

He followed Levi and Hanji outside of the room and, after travelling some ways through more decadent corridors, they entered the outdoors. Fresh air hit him like a wall, a soft and refreshing wall of sunlight and nature's fragrance. _Like transitioning from Hueco Mundo to the Soul society_. Seriously, he had to note these seemingly nonsensical and random thoughts down. 

They went on to traverse through various streets and alleys, winding through the traditional cottages and cobbled buildings until the building to vegetation ratio began to lean more heavily towards the latter. Eventually, they came across what must've been the very outskirt of the village where two people also clad in the survey corps gear awaited them with four horses. 

“We only asked for four because we didn't know if you knew how to ride one” Hanji informed him.   
“I don't” He responded and earned himself a frown from Hanji and a stare from Levi which Ichigo had a hunch about it being something along the lines of “useless”.   
“You'll have to learn then, it's how we get around such large spaces. I'm surprised that you haven't actually, being so far out there in the wilderness” Hanji continued.  
“I don't need a horse to cover long distances” Ichigo retorted, automatically defending himself. Hanji's glasses flashed ominously in the light and a grin threatened to break out across their face.   
“What _do_ you need to cover long distances?” they asked, brimming with curiosity.   
“Shunpo” Ichigo blurted out, yet another thing he'd said without actually knowing the meaning behind it.   
“Shunpo?” Hanji urged him to continue.  
“It's... err” Ichigo's mind was blank, he couldn't explain it for the life of him. Hanji was practically glaring at him for his flustered response.   
“Knock it off Hanji” Levi commanded, knowing from prior experience what the inevitable outcome would be. “The kid is an amnesiac. He pulls up random facts from his past, including stuff which sounds ridiculous, but is unable to produce an explanation behind what he says due to his memory loss”. He explained while mounting himself upon a horse, beckoning for Ichigo to join him.  
“I thought you didn't like anyone sharing your horse, captain” One of the two soldiers said with a smirk, _he has a long face_ was the first feature Ichigo noted about him.   
“He's the first, aside from Hanji who's a fan of flailing their arms around and screaming with laughter, who doesn't cling onto me in order to stay mounted. He's got perfect balance it would seem”. Levi explained, causing the long-faced man to frown a little and give Ichigo a bit of a menacing glare.  
“I... err... thanks?” Ichigo said a little dubiously.   
“It wasn't a compliment, it was a statement” Levi threw him a warning glance. Ichigo did not know how to gauge the short man, every time he constructed a perspective on him, it'd be made redundant by the man's next action. Paying not more attention to the awkward exchange, Ichigo hopped onto the back of Levi's horse and maintained his balance as they began to move, just as Levi had expected. 

After a much longer journey than their first, the five arrived at a castle-like structure practically in the middle of nowhere, almost submerged in wildlife. Ichigo swore he heard Levi emit a sound of disgust as the building came into view. As soon as the group had tied up the horses securely, Levi stormed into the building soon followed by Hanji who practically dragged Ichigo along with them. He wasn't allowed much time to take in the scenery, but from what he could gather, it wasn't as nice as the posh building that had housed the dungeon and courtroom. Hanji let go of him once they had reached an average sized hall where some more soldiers sat along a long dining table, chatting idly. They all sat up straight when the acknowledged Levi's presence and his intensely negative aura. 

“I am gone for four days” he paused for dramatic effect. He had not raised his voice but it was clear that it was enough for to arouse fear in the audience. “Four days” He repeated in the same deathly calm tone.   
“Four days and you dirt bags allow this place to FALL INTO CHAOS AND DISORDER!” He boomed, his voice echoing throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and paralysing everyone accused. Ichigo was so tense that he almost jumped when Hanji whispered in his ear “He's overreacting, he just has a thing about dirt”. 

Levi whipped around and shot an ice cold glare at Hanji, yet they were unphased. 

He returned his attention to the culprits who hadn't even taken their eyes off him in order to notice the strange orange-haired man in the dirty white attire (Well, dirty was an understatement, to say the least).   
“I expect all of this muck gone by the morning” He stated firmly, but they all knew it was an order.   
The frustrated man turned around in one swift movement to face Ichigo and deliver his next set of requirements.   
“You need to get out of those disgusting white rags. We should have spare uniforms, Hanji, would you do me a favour and take him to find one that fits?” Levi returned to his regular, monotonous tone.   
“You do like to order me about, don't you?” Hanji remarked, receiving a subtle huff from Levi who was still clearly dishevelled from his recent outburst. He turned to the dining room, looking for someone to take Ichigo but they had already made themselves scarce, probably to the cleaning cupboard.   
“Fine” He surrendered. “Come” Levi ordered Ichigo, leading him up two sets of stairs and into a small storage room. He looked him once up and down and disappeared into the depths of the piles of equipment and utensils, returning with a set of uniform. “This should fit you” He stated before continuing on to tell him to meet him in the hall once he was dressed and that toilets were just down the corridor on the left. The man disappeared again, this time for good, and left Ichigo with a set of clean, albeit dusty but still clean, clothes that matched everyone else within the building. Five minutes later and after a little bit of a struggle to work out how the many straps on the lower half worked, he was ready to meet Levi and headed down towards the hall. 

When he entered, he noticed that it wasn't just Levi who had come to greet him, nor was it Hanji either. A boy with brown hair and green eyes who had an intense look about him was present along with a girl with black locks and a red scarf who simultaneously stuck out from everyone else and reminded him of himself because of a feature he couldn't quite place his finger on. Then it clicked; _she's japanse_. 

Everyone turned and snapped their attention to him and it took Ichigo a second before he realised why. He face-palmed _I said that outloud_. 

“Yes I am” She spoke up and Ichigo looked up from his hand. That was when something else struck him, she reminded him of someone. Someone from his past.


	8. The Boy with the Green Eyes and the Girl with the Red Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo is introduced to Eren and Mikasa and promptly makes a mess of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the two-week gap! You guys deserve two chapters worth but I don't have the time >.

“Same” Ichigo responded awkwardly to the women a few feet away from him. She simply nodded in response. The silence that followed encouraged him to continue his strained conversation in a futile attempt to salvage his untimely entrance.   
“...Do you know of a place called Karakura, in Japan?” He asked. She was hard to read, akin to Levi in that sense, but he didn't need her to speak in order to know she had no clue what he was talking about.

“I've lived within the walls as long as I can remember” She informed him with a confused expression.  
“Oh... of course, haha yeah with the... umm” he phased out for a second, searching for the suited word.  
“Titans?” the green-eyed boy offered with a certain note of disgust evident in his tone.  
“Yeah, that's it. Haha...” He knew he'd made a mess of it. He didn't feel right, this wasn't him. He'd been like this since his first day on this strange world yet he felt as though the way he acted, the way he thought, wasn't entirely him, like a piece of him was missing. He would've handled his entire situation very differently had he been himself, something within told him that. 

“Ahem” Levi cleared his throat, allowing Ichigo to realise that he had lost himself in his own private thinking space, accidentally disregarding those around him. “These two here are to introduce themselves” He stated.  
“I'm Eren. Eren Jeager” The green eyed boy announced without even missing a beat after Levi delivered his explanation. _Jaeger... sounds familiar..._  
“And this is Mikasa Ackerman, we're like siblings, lived with each other since we were young” He continued on. Mikasa didn't seem too bothered about the fact that she had been spoken for, Ichigo knew he would've been. Or would he have? given the strange depersonalising state that he found himself in.  
“Ichigo Kurosaki” He returned with a nod.  
“Eren here is essentially the trump card of the survey corps but that's for another day. He may have some competition if there are more incidents like when we first found you” Levi explained, but Ichigo was only half paying attention and didn't even notice when Eren piped up after having his title questioned. He was staring intently at Mikasa, trying to figure out who she reminded him of exactly but it just wouldn't surface when he willed it to, his past was deviously tricky to call upon and incredibly unreliable _it would seem_. Only when she returned his gaze did he realise just how obviously he was looking over her. He looked away instantaneously. _I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea..._

“I'm asking you a question” It was Eren who broke Ichigo from his trance.   
“What?” He responded, even he could tell that he sounded dumb. Eren gave him a look which conveyed an “is-this-guy-serious” message.   
“I said, what's so special about you?” Impatience hung from every word.   
“I... well... I'm not sure” Ichigo replied, honestly. Eren looked like he was going to blow a fuse. Luckily, Levi interjected, sensing the upcoming outburst.   
“He has a strange case of amnesia, he can recall some parts of his past, usually when asked. He says he's a soul reaper” Eren gave Levi an incredulous look, intensifying it as he turned his attention to Ichigo.  
“A what?” He asked, astounded. Levi made it clear that he wasn't going to help Ichigo out on this one.  
“Well... umm... it's sorta like a family thing. I can see the spirits of the dead, well could, and send them off to the afterlife. I also destroy monsters called hollows; hollows are souls that, for one reason or another, have transformed into monsters that crave other souls in order to fill the emptiness in their chest, where their heart once was” He was as shocked as the other people in the room at his story - for a different reason.  
“You're kidding me” Eren spoke first.  
“That's more than you told me earlier” Levi said, whether it was a complaint or just a plain evaluation, Ichigo was unsure.  
Mikasa looked on in silence, unreadable.   
Ichigo felt a little anger bubble up inside of him at these judgements.

“Look, I don't know, okay? I'm as clueless as you are” He said, making wilder gestures than usual. “I literally woke up here a few days ago, face to face with some monstrosity that looked like it came straight from Szayel's labs with almost no memory of who I was apart from small little pieces that come and go. If it sounds stupid, I don't care. Who knows? I could've been locked up in an asylum before coming here, having strange fantasies about made up creatures and soul reapers. Heck, I could just be undergoing a massive hallucination right now! Is any of this real? Where's Shiro and the old man? Are they real? Or was my past life a lie?” 

He panted a little as he finished his verbal rampage, slumping into one of the dining table's chairs.

What followed was a deafening silence. Eren's eyes darted about with no idea as to what to do. Levi was as impassive as usual while Mikasa looked Ichigo straight in the eye, her scarf covering the lower half of her face now, expression almost impossible to decipher. But from what Ichigo could tell, she wasn't glaring, nor did she seem all that negative at all. 

After an elongated moment, Levi broke the perpetual quiet. 

“Szayel... Shiro.... and the old man” He said, punctuating each item on the list.  
“I'm going to have to get a new book to note down these small pieces of information you seem to let out without even realising” Ichigo cleared his rage riddled mind a little. It was true, he had no idea what he was referring to despite saying it himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this will suffice.


	9. Eren's Adversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo has been introduced to the delight of soaring through the sky using 3D maneuver gear and Eren doesn't like him one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this gets a little angsty! Also, the chapter is longer than usual I'm pretty sure, If not by a tonne, a little longer.

“WOOOOH HOOOO!” Ichigo roared and allowed the adrenaline to take over as he cut through the wind like obsidian, hair flicked back and clothing pressing tightly against his skin due to the sheer force of the wind he was facing. The landscape zipped by as though he was looking out of the window of a bullet train, but it didn't stop his overly keen eyes from distinguishing one tree from another. With a zipping sound, he sent two metal rope-like structures shooting out from the silver mechanisms at his hips, striking the ever so ominous wall and drawing himself in. He laughed but the wind snapped up all sound, it was as if he hadn't made any noise at all. It was a disorientating at first, adjusting to the rules of the gale. He was no stranger to speed but when flying like he was now, there were so many more variables to consider: The direction of the breeze and its strength; the terrain, others who may be sharing the same airspace and much more, not to mention the titans he'd have to worry about when he was permitted to leave the confines of the walls. 

_Oh wait, there's one more thing on that list..._

His surroundings suddenly became much clearer and were no longer shrouded by the blur that came with high speeds. His heart sunk, anchored down by dread, which also soon became apparent on his face as his mouth slacked, turning from a wild grin to a grimace. He was slowing down and he had realised just a little too late that his gas levels had depleated to a dangerously low level. A figure zipped by and latched on to the wall, right where he had planned on landing himself before this predicament. One look at that smug face and piercing green eyes and Ichigo already knew who was there and why. 

“Looks like you've run out, again!” Eren laughed, watching with delight as Ichigo descended. 

Well, Ichigo hadn't always been the best at emergency landings, _like that time I crashed into the clock tower at the start of the 1000 year blood war._ but he was always capable of finding a way to get out unscathed. As soon as he felt the rush of air flowing upwards when he started to fall, he yanked one of the wires from his 3D maneuver gear and launched himself forward before getting a grasp on both wires, holding them taught at his hips. Combining the momentum of his airborne thrust and the inevitable pull of gravity on him and the device, he swung towards the wall, mimicking a swing. After another rush of air and banishing all doubts related to his landing method, he planted both of his feet squarely on the wall, quite a bit further down than he had originally planned, with an audible crunch somewhere along his legs. He deepened his grimace but did not flinch; it was no matter, he had an exceptional healing rate. 

Now secured at the expense of some arm strain, he looked up, wincing a little at the light that shone down on him. Eren moved into his vision, blocking the sun as he slowly lowered himself towards Ichigo, his gear intact, unlike his adversary. He came to a halt a foot or so above Ichigo and simply dangled by his wires, gently swaying with the will of the wind. Ichigo already knew what was coming next. 

“Titan would've eaten you” Eren stated, matter-of-factly.  
“The hell it would, I'd rip its mouth to shreds if I landed in there” Ichigo claimed. In his moment of confidence, he moved to cross his arms, only to slip and frantically flail about to repurchase his grip after lifting his hands from the only thing holding him up. Eren was having a riot.  
“Hah! Yeah right! This is exactly why you haven't been made a part of the troop yet! And why Levi thinks you're a match for me, I have no idea” Eren scoffed. Ichigo pouted, Eren only seemed to be this way around him. Sure, he'd laugh _with_ others but not _at_ others like he did with Ichigo. He had tried to figure out why and had come to a couple of conclusions after some pondering; Levi had denoted him as worthy of taking Eren's place, as stupid and unfair as that sounded to Ichigo, and Mikasa. He didn't like to jump to conclusions but it seemed to add up.

Mikasa, at first glance, was reserved by nature. Once one got to know her, however, she had much more to her than the impassive shell. She was incredibly protective of Eren for one and was incredibly strong, like no other. Her power was akin to Levi, anyone could see that. Eren did seem to take her for granted but there were occasions where reality would hit him and he'd clear his act up. But, just as much as he was gracious, he was spiteful. An observer could tell that Eren was jealous of Mikasa, of her skill and abilities. She was gifted in one way and he was another, but he did not like his power and seemed to value the might of a soldier ten fold. The tension in their relationship was a complicated mess but it worked, as convoluted as it may seem to an outsider. Then Ichigo had become a part of the picture.

-_-_-_-

Eren had taken a dislike to Ichigo at their first meeting. The way Ichigo had phased out and ignored his question had irked him to begin with, then he started spouting nonsense, nonsense which had gained the infamous Levi, _his captain's_ acknowledgement. To further worsen his first impression, the orange haired man's attitude had completely thrown things askew. He had been jittery and acted like an idiot, flustering easily and messing up despite his otherworldly claims. Normally, Eren would have no issue with that, but it just added to everything that had occurred prior, the cherry on top to a particularly salty cake. To make matters truly dire, Mikasa had a certain fondness towards the bizarre newcomer. Eren would often catch her looking over to him, whether she was dictated by curiosity or infatuation, he cared not. Plus, she now actually spoke to him, in a way. 

At first, she had dragged Eren over to sit with him when he was alone at lunch during the breaks at the soldier training camp. Initially, on his first days at the camp, Ichigo had been flooded by colleagues trying to get a gauge on him. He didn't tell them about his _family business_ as Eren had dubbed it, but simply said he had amnesia. The crowd soon tapered after recognising that it was futile to attempt to swindle any more details from him until he was alone. No one was that interested in him, aside from Mikasa. He had been quite bland in personality and didn't have much to say, completely different from how he was out on the field. When he skyrocketed through ranks due to his natural affinity to essentially everything physical, he gained a few more fellows at the lunch table. When he was whipping through the air on his 3D maneuver gear or taking out another trainee with ease during a sparring match, he'd have a lot to say. During the latter, he'd often give his unfortunate opponent tips on how to improve their stance or technique rather than mock them. He often came across as likeable and admirable as result. He could also be idiotic too, he was smart but he also was not, as strange and impossible as it sounded. One day he could come out with the most profound anecdote that he swore just made up in his head and “not from personal experience” about battle or tactics. The next he'd utterly flunk a theory test. A few of the newer recruits had floundered around him, inspired by his words. But they'd soon disperse once Ichigo left the field and returned to his plain self. Eventually, everyone had learnt of how he was and just didn't bother. 

That was when Mikasa had made her move. Eren and her had been living back on the training campus, quite nostalgic really. They were supposedly building bonds with the newcomer while simultaneously reporting to Levi on him. In reality, Eren had only been doing the latter and Levi had soon stopped asking for his reports, soon learning that they were clouded by bias. So, in the end, Eren had been on campus for no reason at all, aside from occasionally taking a class and speaking about his encounters outside of the wall to the inexperienced. 

Mikasa had decided that Ichigo needed some lunchtime companions. To begin with, she had roped Eren into her plans and they had both sat with him. Eren had _expected_ it to be awkward with how Mikasa was just, well, how she was and with Ichigo having the social capacity of a slice of burnt toast. It hadn't all gone as he had imagined, though, towards the end. On the first incident, Ichigo was much like when they had first met, awkward with seemingly no conversation skills. After a few days, Eren refused to allow Mikasa to goad him into joining her. He had _expected_ her to stay with him like she always did. But no, Ichigo was different. She had sat with him as per usual, minus Eren. However, things changed. The two talked, Ichigo even cracked a smile or two. Ir frustrated Eren immensely. _He has some nerve not only acting so uptight when I'm around but also stealing my sister away from me..._ She hadn't been stolen, but it was easier for him to think about it that way. Thus rage built up within him, over the days since their first encounter, ever growing. 

It had now been two weeks and three days. 

As _expected_ , Mikasa flew in and landed beside Ichigo with the grace of a swan and the speed of a cheetah.  
“Hey” She said _to Ichigo_ , she didn't look at Eren.  
“Hey.” Eren interjected before Ichigo could even open his mouth.  
Mikasa just looked at him, he'd lived with her for the majority of his life, he could tell when she was irritated while others couldn't see past her glassy eyes.  
“Ran out of gas again?” She turned her attention back to Ichigo.  
Ichigo grinned sheepishly. “It seems so...” He scratched the back of his head as he spoke. He didn't even slip an inch as he lost one of his supporting arms for the action.  
“You should be more careful” Mikasa stated, with a slightly scolding tone. Eren was familiar with it, he'd been subjected to her lectures many times before.  
“I know but it's just so... amazing! It feels like I'm flying, I mean, I've ran through the air before but I've never _flown_. Aside from when facing _really_ strong enemies of course and that generally isn't as pleasant” He laughed at himself and Mikasa seemed to emit a sound that could be likened to a soft giggle as well.

_Ran through the air?  
Strong enemies?_

_Is Mikasa not hearing this or something?!_

Eren looked on, bewildered. He was obviously going on about his so-called _past_ again. There was no doubt in Eren's mind. Yet he was baffled at how Mikasa just accepted it as if it wasn't out of the ordinary _as if she already... knew_.

_Ah._

He then realised that Mikasa knew a whole lot more than he did about Ichigo, whether his past be real or fake. He felt disconnected, as though he were but a simple onlooker, prying on a scene that he, as a stranger, had no right to witness. The realisation dawned on him, much more like a bomb rather than a sunrise, though. His anger boiled but came dangerously close to being relinquished into sadness. _Damn it, newcomer!_ He was about to speak his mind but...

They'd already started leaving.


	10. Strained Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be an ordinary day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BASICALLY decided it was time for more Hueco Mundo action and I have this piece which could go from either world's perspective, take that as you will, so I decided to go with Shiro and I don't know what happened sorry.

It had been a regular day at the palace, nothing out of the ordinary – from what she knew at least. She'd been resting in the northern quarter of the castle, lay across a lavish bed with a book, both from the realm of the living. For reasons she had yet to understand, Shiro just _loved_ whatever the plusses came up with. He'd send more capable hollows out on expeditions to bring him back certain items, such as the book she was reading named “Skullduggery Pleasant” (unfortunately, it was the fourth novel in the series). When she did care to ponder about his fancies, she suspected that it might have something to do with his outward appearance; he was a hollow trapped inside a human shell. He had no mask or defining supernatural features aside from his colours, yet he was unmistakably hollow. Then there was his doppelganger, Ichigo, who she had learnt was a man under the guise of a shinigami.

“You know your twin” She had asked, a night or so ago. She wasn't concerned by the passing of time given that she'd most likely live on eternally under Shiro's protection.  
“Twin? Haha! I guess you could call him that” He barked, he always seemed to find the concept of that connection amusing.  
“...Yeah. Well, who is he?” She continued, verbalising the question that kept resurfacing in her mind.  
“Hmm... Well yah really should be askin' what” Shiro corrected, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.  
“Err, Okay then. What?” The female hollow asked, a little unsure.  
“Well, he's a bit of a mix honestly. He was born a human but that ain't all there is to it. Right now, he's thinking he's a shinigami” He concluded his summary with a confident nod of certification.

She hadn't brought him up since it was unnerving. Shiro acted very differently when subjects such as his past and connections outside of Hueco Mundo came up, he was more _human_. She almost laughed at herself out loud, comparing the monster of a king to a mere plus. The two ideas were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but the same spectrum nonetheless. Usually, his thoughts seemed to be clouded by ambition and murder, whether it be directing the construction of a new segment of their residence or slaughtering a dim hollow who had dared to oppose them; nothing about his normal self had any hint of humanity. He was selfish, cold and deadly. However, when the aforementioned topics did come up, it was as though a kinder, more sympathetic inner version of himself had surfaced and it made her hairs stand on end and jolted her nerves. There was one thing more terrifying than a cold blooded killer to her, an understanding one. One that knows its actions are immoral and even downright evil yet has the capacity for remorse but still prevails.

On that day, the peculiar humanoid hollow was the heartless creature, fortunately for her. Nothing strange occurred and everything kept to the status quo. At least until she finished her book (despite it being read in the wrong order) and started to make her way to storage to find another.

“AAAAAAAAAGGHHHHH!”

She whipped her head around within a heartbeat and it didn't take her too long to identify the source of the noise. It was Shiro. _Shiro is screaming?_

It was such an unlikely phenomenon. She'd never once thought that it would be even possible for Shiro to cry out in pain, nevermind emit such a screech tainted with agony. Shortly after the scream had sounded, she ran towards the throne room as a fast as she was capable, dashing by many equally confused and panicked hollows in the vicinity. She skidded into the room where Shiro lay after in what felt like no time at all.

Shiro was slumped on his throne, convulsing. His eyes had rolled back, giving him an even more ghostly appearance than what he naturally had. A clear sweat had broken out across his skin, entrancing the light, causing his sheet-white skin to glisten almost angelically. The mix of serenity matched with the severity of the situation produced a really confusing scene, leaving her paralysed as though someone had clicked the pause button. In reality, the lack of her support didn't amount to much; there was nothing she could've done aside from watch, a bystander looking on in awe at an angel caught in the midsts of hell.

Once he ceased to move, a number of hollows had gathered, teetering at the very edges of the room, scared to step foot into the scene, most frozen for similar reasons to the female hollow, the queen. Those capable turned to her once recognising her presence, looking for someone to do lead them, to take control. But she couldn't, she hadn't the slightest clue as to what had transpired never mind what to do. Once pulled out of her state of shock, she knew she had to do _something_ , anything. The whole hierarchy that had been built lay on the foundations of his might, his strength.

Without him, she'd die.

She rushed over to the still body, deeming it useless to check for signs of life and instead tried to wake him. She shook him, hit, pinched and slapped him. His body simply rolled a little, his head lolling, unconscious and unaware.

“Come on... you've got to, you've got to WAKE UP” She was sobbing and her dainty tears soon turned into rivers as despair swamped her mind. She could already hear the whisperings of the onlookers about her.

__  
“What do we do?”  
“We should probably leave”  
“I'm outta' here” 

_“With him gone, we can take control”  
_

She was aware of the figures approaching her as he weakly beat Shiro with small balled fists, willing him to wake. She was aware of the malevolence radiating from them as she cried into her king's chest. She was aware of the threatening presence looming over her as she gripped Shiro's stark white shihakusho and begged him to save her. Save her from the cero gathering energy a mere foot above her scalp.

_This is the end_

 

 

“What do you think yer doin'?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also sorry it's so short


End file.
